Overcome'
by bluemonkeyape
Summary: The first chapter from the female human noble origin  known as the Cousland Arc.  The arc aims to fill in the gaps the game did not clarify. Aurelia has just fled from her home in Highever with Duncan after Howe's attack. However, grief is not far behind.


Chapter One 'Overcome'

"Duncan, can we please retire for the 'eve? My legs are not used to all this travelling."

In truth, Aurelia Cousland would have walked many more miles if she could have but her body was screaming out for food and sleep. The trouble was, she feared resting her eyes, for she knew that the dark nightmares that the fade would bring would come to haunt her of the events that had happened the night before. Her mabari hound, Echelon, could sense her sadness too and lied down at her feet, resting his head on his giant paws.

Duncan slowed up and turned to face her, looking straight upon her with kindness, his gentle eyes sparkling with warmth and sorrow. "That will do for today then, I am sorry, I forget that you are unfamiliar with the ways of the Grey Wardens. I have been one for so long that I have almost forgotten of what it was like before this life. Once you become a warden, your mana becomes unimaginably strong, unparalled by any normal citizen, except that of course, of the Darkspawn."

Echelon's ears pricked up at the sound of 'food' and got up, slowly walking in front of Duncan and Aurelia, with his nose pressed closely to the ground, sniffing in the cool, damp soil. Duncan scouted for a suitable place to set up camp for the night, with Aurelia following closely behind him. Although she was brave in heart and strong with her blade, she had never encountered a Darkspawn before and, frankly. The forest filled her with trepidation and she didn't want tonight to be her first meeting with them.

Finally, they found a clearing in the forest. On one of the nearby fallen logs, Aurelia spotted a sprig of Elfroot, growing between the decaying wood and picked it up, breathing in its strong, sweet scent. In the last hour of sunlight, it seemed quite a pretty place but she knew in her heart that by nightfall, the sounds of the forest at night would fill her heart with terror. She sat on the fallen tree, with her back turned to Duncan whilst he set up camp. She closed her eyes, relishing the cool evening's breeze washing all over her but even the comfort of this could not stop her reliving the previous night.

She tried in vain to stop the influx of memories but they came flooding back. The screams, the cries, the blood, the horror, the betrayal. It all rushed back to her in startling detail. She saw through her closed eyes, the bodies of Oriana and little Oren, her father, her mother, Fergus… With the castle walls, a place she once called her home, strewn with the blood of all the people she once held dear…

She snapped back into reality when she felt Duncan's hand on her shoulder. 'Come Aurelia, I have prepared our meal for the evening and you must be hungry.' Secretly, she thanked him for his interruption and followed him without a word.

The fire was crackling in the camp, the embers slowly drifting away from the fire and floating slowly to the ground. Aurelia was transfixed by the dancing lights, for she did not want her mind to drift dangerously. From afar, Duncan watched her, looking into those sad, blue eyes and could not help feel but utter regret for the young Cousland. 'I could have done more to save them' he thought. But he could not doubt the Maker's intent. Despite all the tragedy, he had gained a worthy recruit and somewhere, deep inside his soul, he instinctually knew that this particular Grey Warden would be very special indeed. Echelon was by the fire, taking a well - earned rest after ingesting the entire leg of the deer that had been tonight's catch. Duncan pondered for a moment before clearing his throat, which deflected Aurelia's attention back to him.

"Aurelia, I know that this is maybe something you do not wish to discuss, especially me, who is practically a stranger in your eyes but I fear that if you do not get this grief off your heart, it will consume you, faster than any Darkspawn horde could wish to."

She looked up at him mournfully and sighed, resting her head against the back of a tree. She tried to find the words, to convey her feelings but it was like a whirlwind in her head. How could she possibly conceive to explain it to Duncan when she didn't understand it herself?

Duncan stood up and walked round to the girl, before dropping to his knees in beside her, his presence comforted her slightly. "Seeing all whom you love dear to you die needlessly at the hands of someone you trusted is unthinkable, madness almost. The Couslands were a highly respected family and their betrayal at the hands of Arl Howe will not go unpunished. But you must come to terms with this if you are to truly survive. Your mother and father loved you and wanted you to become the greatest person you could be, it would not be honourable to their memory for you to allow this grief to swallow you up and devour you. And if not for them, think of the other thousands of families who will go through this when the blight finally descends upon Ferelden. The honour of becoming a Grey Warden would have made your family very proud so please, allow this thought to be of some comfort to you."

Aurelia's eyes flooded with tears. She did not fight them but instead allowed each drop to roll down her face with no shame. Duncan waited patiently as she wiped her tears away, one by one, his kindly face almost reminding her of her very own father. They both stood up and Aurelia faintly smiled when Duncan put both hands on her shoulders.

"You are a Cousland, Aurelia and a survivor. Do not let the memories of your family be tarnished by their deaths but instead, think of how they lived, how they loved and cherish these memories. You are a very special person Aurelia and you have the potential to be one of the greatest Grey Wardens this age has ever seen."

"Thank you Duncan." Aurelia replied, the gravity of her emotions rendering her almost speechless but she felt better and spirited in heart. The hole in her soul was slowly mending again and she finally felt ready to take her first steps to becoming a Grey Warden.'

"Now, it is getting late Aurelia, we still have a five days journey to Ostagar, where you will be meeting the rest of the new recruits I have managed to gather and you will need all the rest you can get. I bid you good night".

"Good night Duncan, and thank you once again."

Duncan smiled warmly at her before they both went into their separate tents, with Echelon following closely behind Aurelia. Aurelia slept soundly that night, except being briefly awakened by a gasp in the night. Her heart thundered silently whilst she strained her ears, waiting to hear another sound. After a few moments passed, she rationalised that it was just the sounds of the forest and with Echelon comforting her by her side, she gently drifted back to sleep. However, the noise had indeed originated from close by but instead of the forest, it was produced from the tent of the veteran Grey Warden. Duncan awoke, drenched in swear and his heart racing at the pace of a hummingbird. He had dreamed of the arch demon again, of the onslaught of never-ending hordes of Darkspawn. These terrifying nightmares were getting more frequent and vivid and in his heart, Duncan knew that time for him, was running out. He resolved to sit by the campfire for the rest of the night, for he was fearful for sleep to claim him again.


End file.
